Yarn carrier for knitting machines



June 5, 1951 R. D. CURRY 2,555,920

YARN CARRIER FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July e, 1948 31. h nunnun WITNESSES l N V EN TOR: Q5 2) fimszsezfl. Eur/y,

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Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,555,920 YARN CARRIER, FOR gNITTiNG MACHINES Russell- D. Curry, Downingtown, Pa.

Application July 6, 1948, serial No. 37,227

" Claims. (Cl. 66 -126) This invention relates to yarn carriers for knitting machines. More specifically, it is concerned with yarn carriers of the traversing finger variety universally used, for example, in connection with straight knitting machines designed for the production of flat fashioned hosiery blanks, and having guide tubes at their lower endsto lay the yarns across the nibs of transversely slurred sinkers incident to feeding the yarns to the needles of the machines.

1 .Inearriersof the kind: referred to, as ordinarily constructed, the guide tubes are rigidly secured to the fingers; Thus in the event that a sinker or sinkers be accidentally displaced upward or any other abnormal obstruction be inadvertently thrust into the path of the tube, so called smash ups would occur with severe damage to the machine parts. Thesesiriash ups are very costly, not only from the standpoint of the value of the replacements which must be made and the labor involved, but also by reason of the enforced idling of the machines for the repairs.

The chief aim of my invention is to overcome the above drawbacks, which desideratum I attain, as hereinafter more fully disclosed, through provision of means whereby the guide tubes are yieldingly supported in the ends of the fingers with capacity to swing aside upon impact with any abnormal obstruction in their paths irrespective of the direction of traverse.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a yarn carrier conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the device as seen from the right of Fig. 1 with the lower end thereof shown in central vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guide tube of the carrier.

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views respectively of two spring bands whereby the guide tube is yieldingly supported on the carrier for the purpose hereinbefore stated;

Figs. 6 and 7 are horizontal sectional views taken as respectively indicated by the angled arrows VIVI and VII-VII in Fig. 1.

As illustrated, my improved yarn carrier is in the form of a stiff flat finger which is generally designated 10, and which, at the top, has a widened head portion H with holes for passage of screws [2 whereby it is secured to a holder A on a longitudinally reciprocating carrier bar 13 of the knitting machine after common practice in the art. At its bottom end, the finger I0 is formed with an angular bight l3 having 'c'om pleme'ntally sloped side edges l4 and a relatively narrow square upward prolongation l5 in the longitudinal major axis of said finger.

Centrally located within the bight l3 and normally disposed in vertical position therein, is a guide tube It whereby the knitting yarn indicated at Y is laid across the nibs of the sinkers shown at S so as to be taken by the needles (not shown) of the knitting machine" as the finger I0 is traversed back and forth A in the usual and well known way. From Fig. 3 it will" be observed thatthe guide tube I6 is downwardly tapered somewhat and formed at the top at one side with a fiat face I1 and at the opposite'side with a lateral hemispherical protuberance I8 As shown in Figs; 1, 2, 6 and 7 the tube is held assembled with the finger llll by a pair of flat narrow spring'ban'd's 19' and 20 which are separately illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The band I9 is sprung about the lower end of the finger 10 approximately at the level of the crotch of the bight l3 with its opposite side portions spanning the gap l5, and is held against displacement within a crosswise groove 2| .formed in said finger. Centrally of one of its parallel side portions, the band I!) is provided with a socket indentation 22 into which the lateral spherical protuberance l8 at the upper end of the guide tube [6 fits. The band 20 extends about the finger H1 at a lower level and is similarly lodged in another crosswise groove 23 with its parallel side portions spanning the bight l3, said side portions being provided centrally with outwardly-rounded vertical axis bulges 24 which are downwardly tapered so as to lightly engage the guide tube It at a point medially of its ends and so normally prevent displacement thereof from the vertical position in which it is shown in full lines.

As a consequence of this novel construction it will be seen that, when necessary due to wear or for any other reason, the tube I6 can be readily removed by dilation of the spring bands I9 and 20 and replaced by a new one. Furthermore, in the event that, during traverse of the carrier finger H], the lower end of the tube should meet with an accidentally raised sinker or sinkers S or any other abnormal solid obstruction or obstructions in its path, the band 20 will readily yield to enforced lateral spreading and so permit said finger to turn about the pivot 18 and swing aside in one direction or the other, as instanced in broken lines in Fig. 1, depending upon the direction of travel of the carrier. R0

tation of the tube l6 about its own axis is prevented through cooperation of its fiat surface I! with the straight frontal portion of the band l9 as will be readily seen from Fig. 6. Thus, through my invention, costly smash ups, such as frequently occur under similar circumstances in straight knitting machines equipped with the ordinary types of yarn carriers, are effectively precluded.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A y'arn carrier for straight knitting machines comprising a flat finger with a vertical axis angular bight in its lower end; a rigid guide tube for the yarn which is 'to be fed to the needles of the knitting machine; and retaining means for pivotally supporting the tube at its upper end within the top of the angular bight in the finger with capacity to swing aside from a normal central position within said bight in the event that it meets with an obstruction incident to the traverse of said finger in either direction.

2. A yarn carrier according to claim 1, wherein the guide tube has a lateral hemispherical protuberance adjacent its top end; and wherein the retaining means includes a fiat spring band secured about the finger in the region of the top of the angular bight and having a socket indentation centrally of one of its side portions for engagement by the hemispherical protuberance at the top of the guide tube, and a second flat spring secured about the finger at a lower level and having bulge indentations centrally of its opposite side portions to lightly engage the guide tube at a point intermediate its ends. L

3. A yarn carrier according to claim 1, wherein the guide tube has a lateral hemispherical protuberance at one side of its top end and a flat face at the opposite side; and wherein the retaining means includes a spring band which is secured about the finger in the region of the top of the bight with its opposite side portions spanning the bight, one side portion of said band having a socket indentation centrally of one side. portion for engagement by the hemispherical protuberance at the top of the guide tube and the other side portion being plain and abutted by the fiat of said tube, and a second spring band secured about the finger at a lower level and having outward bulge ofisets centrally of its opposite side portions for lightly engaging the guide tube adjacent its lower end.

4(As a new article of manufacture, a yarn carrier for fiat knitting machines having the form of a flat finger with an angular bight in its lower endfand with a pair of spaced spring bands secured about the finger and spanning said bight, one at the level of the top of the bight and the other adjacent the end of the finger, and a guide tube pivotally connected at its top end within the upper band at the center and extending down through the lower band.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a guide element for knitting machine yarn carriers in the form of a rigid tube with a lateral pivot protuberance at its upper end, and a flat face at the side opposite said protuberance.

RUSSELL D. CURRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

